by Claudine Zap
Celebrities, take note. When you speak on, say, an answering machine, or you're on a movie set where tape is rolling, the sounds you make don't disappear into vapor. They are actually saved so they can be replayed, with very good sound quality, over and over again. But much to the delight of the Internet audience, stars just don't learn this. They get mad and we get the MP3 version. Thank you, technology. Here, a rant roundup, if you will, of our favorite meltdowns caught on tape.
Rant. Record. Repeat.
The brouhaha that's broken out over very unflattering audio of Christian Bale dressing down his director of photography on set is a reminder that nothing these days goes unnoticed or unreported. The tape of a potty-mouthed Bale, which hit the Internet and pretty much sent our Buzz-o-meter off the charts, has already become a cult classic.
The blog Hecklerspray noted that the yelling star veers into "about 13 different accents" but gives him props for finding an ingenious way to promote his upcoming film "Terminator: Salvation" (truth in advertising: We are not likely to get a rendition of the rant in the actual movie). New York Magazine reports that the rant has already earned rave reviews as a remix ? with a highly danceable beat.
While Bale may have hoped that the meltdown from last summer would quietly disappear, we're sure that hope vanished when a shocked Matt Lauer discussed the tape on the "Today" Show. Yup, he's toast. The assistant director on the "Terminator" set has assured fans that this was "just a moment" and has sworn (not literally) that Bale is not usually like this. Ever.
Say It Isn't So
One person who can actually sympathize is Alec Baldwin. The comedic "30 Rock" star caught hell when a tape of his ugly remarks to his daughter went public. (Yes, that would be when he called the 11-year-old a "pig.") He has since penned a book on fatherhood and divorce, and has apparently made up with his daughter ? although we don't have a recording of it.
Caught Off Guard
Stars aren't the only ones to make a mistake that will live on in their careers. There's what Huffington Post calls a "vintage meltdown" of Bill O'Reilly having a fit during the show "Inside Edition," which recently resurfaced. And, shocking news: He's not a teddy bear, even off camera. And who can forget the consternation that came after Barack Obama made a supposed off-the-record remark at a fundraising dinner about working-class Democrats clinging to their "guns and religion," which temporarily derailed his campaign.
One thing's for sure: Celebs keep talking, and we keep listening.
